Putting chicken in yogurt before cooking is a method that has been used for hundreds of years in many different types of food around the world. But what does yogurt really do to chicken, and why does it change the texture and taste so much? Let’s look at the science behind this easy marinade trick.
How Yogurt Tenderizes Chicken
One of the main benefits of marinating poultry in yogurt is that it helps tenderize the meat. Yogurt contains lactic acid, which acts as a mild acid that breaks down tough collagen fibers over time. This allows the chicken to absorb more moisture and become more tender.
Unlike using something highly acidic like lemon juice or vinegar yogurt tenderizes gradually without making the surface of the meat mushy. Chicken can be soaked in yogurt-based marinades for up to 12 hours without any ill effects. The slow tenderizing action gives you a nice texture – juicy and tender but not falling apart.
Yogurt Creates a Unique Crust
When yogurt-marinated chicken is cooked, whether by grilling, baking or pan-frying, the milk sugars in the yogurt caramelize, creating a lovely browned crust on the outside of the meat. This crust has a slight underlying softness and sweetness from the caramelized milk solids.
The crust formed from yogurt marinade is different from what you’d get using a marinade without dairy. It adds rich flavor and a pleasing texture contrast against the juicy interior of the chicken.
Yogurt Enhances Flavor
In addition to its tenderizing effect, yogurt also infuses chicken with lots of flavor. The lactic acid reacts with the proteins in the meat, helping it better absorb the seasoned flavors in the marinade.
You can mix herbs, spices, garlic, and other things in almost any way you want. into yogurt to create a marinade. The yogurt will carry those flavors deep into the chicken. Ginger, curry spices, lemon, garlic, and chili powder are all popular additions.
The natural tang of yogurt also complements the flavor of chicken. When cooked, the milk sugars caramelize to add a slight sweetness and richness.
Best Practices for Marinating Chicken in Yogurt
To get the most out of yogurt’s marinating power, here are some tips to follow:
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Plain yogurt without added sugar is best. Yogurt with flavors or sugars could burn your throat. Greek yogurt will also work, but you might need to add lemon juice to thin it out.
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Marinate for 8-12 hours – Overnight is ideal to let the yogurt work its magic. 1-2 hours will still impart some flavor and moisture.
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Use a sealed plastic bag – This ensures the yogurt contacts all surfaces of the chicken. Remove as much air as possible.
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So the marinade can really get into the chicken, use thinner cuts like breasts, cutlets, or boneless thighs.
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Discard used marinade – Don’t reuse marinade after raw chicken has soaked in it due to contamination.
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Pat chicken dry before cooking – This will help it brown and crisp up nicely.
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Cook over high heat – Grilling, broiling or pan-searing work best to caramelize the yogurt crust.
The Best Cuts of Chicken to Marinate in Yogurt
The thinner the cut of chicken, the better it will absorb flavors from a yogurt marinade. Here are some of the best options:
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Chicken breasts – An ideal choice. Pound them to an even thickness so the marinade penetrates evenly.
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Chicken cutlets – Already thin and cook quickly. Great for weeknight meals.
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Boneless chicken thighs – Will become very juicy and tender after marinating. Remove skin for best results.
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Chicken tenders – Let kids customize their flavor with fun marinades.
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Boneless wings – More surface area than drums or thighs absorbs more flavor.
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Cornish game hens – Small enough to marinate easily in a bowl or zipper bag.
Thicker cuts like bone-in breasts, drumsticks, quarters or a whole chicken work too. Just be sure to slash them deeply a few times to allow marinade into the meat.
Different Ways to Cook Yogurt-Marinated Chicken
There are endless possibilities when it comes to cooking chicken after it’s been soaked in a yogurt marinade. Try out these quick and easy cooking methods:
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Grill – Creates nice charred bits through the yogurt crust.
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Broil – For easy oven “grilling” any time of year. Great for chicken breasts or kebabs.
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Pan sear or sauté – Cook over high heat to brown the marinated exterior.
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Bake – Good for bone-in chicken or whole birds. Bake until crispy.
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Air fry – Gives amazing crunch to boneless cuts soaked in yogurt.
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Poach – For ultra moist, falling-off-the bone chicken in curries or soups.
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Smoke – Adds incredible depth. Use reserved marinade as a sauce.
The options are endless! Just be sure to pat the chicken dry first and use high heat to achieve a nicely caramelized crust.
Delicious Yogurt Marinade Recipes
From Mediterranean to Indian, here are some delicious international marinades that let the flavor of yogurt shine:
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Tandoori chicken – Yogurt plus Indian spices like coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger and chili powder
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Tzatziki marinade – Greek yogurt with lemon, garlic, dill and olive oil
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Cumin lime marinade – Yogurt with cumin, lime juice, cilantro and chili powder
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Mediterranean marinade – Yogurt, garlic, olive oil, oregano, mint and black pepper
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Jamaican jerk marinade – Yogurt, jerk seasoning, thyme, brown sugar and habanero peppers
Get creative and use your favorite seasoning blends too. Yogurt makes the perfect background to let spice mixes, herbs and zesty flavors shine.
Don’t Be Afraid to Try Yogurt Marinades!
Marinating chicken in yogurt may seem unorthodox, but it’s a time-tested technique that results in exceptionally moist, flavorful meat. The lactic acid tenderizes while the milk solids create a wonderfully caramelized crust.
Yogurt also serves as a blank slate for global marinade flavors. So don’t be afraid to experiment with spices, herbs and other seasonings to liven up plain yogurt.
Give your next batch of chicken an overnight bath in this unique dairy marinade. Your taste buds will thank you!
Effects of Different Acid-Based Marinades on Meat
For the first round of experiments using yogurt marinades, I didn’t notice any statistically significant differences between cooked chicken marinated in just yogurt overnight and cooked chicken that wasn’t. Adding salt seemed to reduce the amount of water lost after cooking in both yogurt-marinated and non-yogurt-marinated chicken.
But, as I mentioned earlier, it’s not that easy to make any sense of the results when using yogurt using my simplistic experimental set up, so in the next round, I set up two sets of separate experiments, one using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and another with the boneless leg of lamb. In each instance, the meat was marinated in a solution of an acid (either lactic, citric, or acetic acids) with and without salt overnight in the refrigerator and cooked sous vide.
The Basics of Marinating Meat
Before we get to the experiments, let’s go over some of the basic science behind marinating meat and how a marinade affects texture and water content.
A marinade is typically a water-based mixture of various ingredients, each of which is meant to improve either the flavor or the texture (or both) of whatever is being marinated. But marinades also improve the “juiciness” of cooked meat by encouraging the absorption of water, which is another way of saying a marinade can improve meat’s water-holding capacity, that is, its ability to bind water.
About 5% of the water in animal flesh is bound to proteins; the remaining 95% is held between the filaments that make up the muscle. The proteins and amino acids present in meat determine how much water it can absorb during marination. For example, the muscle protein myosin can bind a large quantity of water because it’s rich in aspartic and glutamic acids, amino acids that have molecules that can bind at least four to seven molecules of water.
But a given piece of meat’s water-holding capacity can also be altered by raising or lowering it through chemical processes. The most obvious example of this is applying heat: During cooking, a large quantity of water is lost as proteins in the muscle—like collagen, myosin, and actin—shrink during denaturation and push water out, similar to the way water is released from a squeezed sponge.
Here are two of the primary ways marinades can alter a meats water-holding capacity:
- In addition to seasoning the meat, table salt (sodium chloride) can help break down some proteins, such as the muscle protein myosin, which can make the meat more tender. Adding phosphate salts to chicken breasts can make them soak up more water. Table salt can do the same thing, but not as much.
- Acids help denature proteins by changing their shape, which can sometimes make the meat more tender. However, as we already said, this effect can be so strong that it makes the meat mushy and tasteless. When proteins change shape, amino acids that were hidden may become visible. These amino acids make it possible for water to interact with and bind to meat proteins in new ways. What acids do to protein also depends on the type of protein. For example, acids help break down the collagen in meat, which makes meat high in collagen very tender.
This is the juiciest 6 ingredient yogurt marinated chicken (recipe in description)
FAQ
Why is it good to marinate chicken in yogurt?
Locks in moisture: Yogurt forms a protective barrier and prevents your chicken from drying out during roasting or grilling. Mar 14, 2025.
How long can you leave chicken marinated in yogurt?
The Power of Lactic Acid in Yogurt for Marinating Lactic acid is not as strong as acidic foods like vinegar and citrus juice, so it tenderizes meat more slowly. This means you can leave chicken marinating in yogurt for up to a full 24 hours without it becoming tough or mushy.
Do you wipe off yogurt marinade before cooking?
Do you rinse off the yogurt marinade before cooking? No, you shouldn’t. That would take away a lot of the flavor that the chicken gained while it was marinating.
Should I rinse chicken after marinating in yogurt?
You do not need to rinse off the marinade before cooking but you can discard any marinade left in the bag after you remove the chicken.
What is easy yogurt marinated chicken?
Easy Yogurt-Marinated Chicken made with grilled boneless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts) made in a Greek yogurt marinade for the most tender chicken. These grilled Yogurt-Marinated Chicken thighs (or breasts) are so juicy and delicious thanks to this easy yogurt marinade.
What is Greek yogurt chicken marinade?
It is known for making the most tender and juicy chicken thighs or breasts. The Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade has tangy orange notes. You can enjoy this tasty recipe all year long! This is the best Greek yogurt chicken recipe you will find.
How long do you marinate chicken in yogurt based marinade?
Pour over chicken in a bag and let marinade in the fridge. Grill over preheated medium-high heat about 5 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through. How long should chicken marinate in this acidic yogurt based marinade? Chicken breasts or thighs should marinate for preferably at least 2 hours to soak up some of the flavor.